One night after likely their best effort of the OUA season, the Nipissing Lakers men’s hockey team didn’t have much left in the tank to keep pace with the league’s top team.
Coming off an emotional and physically tough victory, the Lakers were the victim of one of the most potent offences in the CIS, as the UQTR Patriotes picked up an 8-1 win over the Lakers Saturday night at Memorial Gardens.
UQTR scored early and often, opening things up less than four minutes into the game.
Already up 1-0, the Patriotes would score three goals in the span of six minutes, extending their lead to 4-0 before the end of the first period.
It was the same story in the second period.
Two goals a minute apart made it 6-0 Patriotes and four minutes after that, it was another tally for the OUA leading Patriotes.
Down 7-0, the Lakers did find the back of the net on the power play as Jimmy McDowell walked in off the point, made a nice cut to the middle of the ice and roofed the puck to the top left corner of the net.
The goal broke the Patriotes shutout and came with just 12 seconds left in the middle frame.
Mackenzie Keirstead picked up the lone assist on McDowell’s fifth tally of the campaign.
There was just one goal scored in the third, but it was the Patriotes who scored to regain the seven goal cushion.
The goal came within the first five minutes of the period and assured any type of comeback wasn’t going to happen for the Lakers.
Veteran goalie Kirk Rafuse got the nod in net, but was lifted after allowing four goals in the first period.
Domenic Graham came in as relief, but left early due to an apparent shoulder injury, so Rafuse found himself back in the net to close things out.
Four Patriotes had multi-point efforts, including the team’s top scorer, Guillaume Asselin, who put up five points.
UQTR ended up leading on the shotclock, as well as the scoreclock, outshooting the Lakers 33-28.
The loss ends Nipissing’s three game winning streak and puts them one game below .500, at 11-12-3.
Nipissing will now hit the road to finish up the regular season, facing Queens and UOIT next weekend.
Nipissing can’t move up in the standings, currently sitting sixth, but they can fall, so points are still valuable.
While the schedule isn’t set as of today, the playoffs are likely to start on Feb. 17.
Lakers women with five unanswered goals
Saturday afternoon was a game of firsts for the Nipissing Lakers women's hockey team - in more ways than one.
We'll begin with the fact the Lakers celebrated their first graduates - three players who have been with the team since day one.
Next, Lakers goalie Micaela Stutzki earned her first career OUA win with a 15 save performance and last, but certainly not lease, Nipissing defender Victoria Bugg scored her first career goal with a rocket from the point.
All those feats added up to a convincing 6-1 win over the visiting UOIT Ridgebacks as the Lakers closed out the home portion of their regular season with back-to-back wins.
The Lakers struck first, late in the first period, as Sam Strassburger retreived a loose puck and fired it to the back of the net while Nipissing was on the power play.
Strassburger's fifth goal was assisted by Zosia Davis and Brooklyn Irwin.
UOIT would tie the game in the second period, scoring their lone goal of the contest, but from there, it was all Lakers.
With the score 1-1, Nipissing would go on to score five straight goals, including three in the second period.
Carly Marchment would score her first of two on the game, giving the Lakers the lead once again. Her and her linemates did great work down low and as she drove to the net, she was hit with a perfect pass that she redirected home for what would stand as the game-winner.
Kaley Tienhaara and Ava Keis drew the helpers on the go-ahead goal.
Taylor Murphy made it 3-1 just 14 seconds late on a scramble in front of the UOIT net.
Irwin earned her second assist of the game, while Strassburger grabbed her second point as well.
Marchment would add to the Lakers lead with her second of the period, finding the back of the net for the fifth time this season. Tienhaara and Jade Gauthier set up Marchment's second tally of the game.
The Lakers kept the pressure on, scoring twice more in the third.
First, Stacey Hensahw fired home a rocket from the slot, making the score 5-1. Marchment earned her third point of the night with an assist, while Janica Vossos did a great job down low to dig the puck out and put it in front of the net.
Finally, to put an exclamation mark of the victory, Victoria Bugg hammered home her first career tally, blasting one from the point that hit the top corner.
Kaitlyn McManus and Bronwyn Bolduc set up Bugg's goal.
Stutzki wasn't overly busy, but was good when called up in earning the win. She finished with 15 saves.
The Lakers, who won their 13th game of the season and earned their 43rd point, will now head on the road for the season finale. They'll take on the top ranked Guelph Gryphons on Sunday, Feb. 14.
